This week Shane Crawford reports in from his cross-country bike ride with standout picks of Patrick Dangerfield and Sam Mitchell.

BRISBANE will beef up its football spending by more than $1.5 million in 2014 and implement a development program in a move that will pave the way for Michael Voss to be offered a new two-year deal.

There is a growing acceptance on the Lions board Voss's coaching career has been hamstrung by vastly inferior levels of financial support compared to what other new coaches have enjoyed.

Brisbane rank in the bottom five on football department expenditure and employ six full-time coaches, while Voss's peers James Hird and Nathan Buckley, at Essendon and Collingwood, have staffs of more than 10 coaches.

Player development is another issue.Voss has been given a mandate to play youngsters, but many do not enter the senior side adequately prepared for AFL football.

It is understood some Brisbane powerbrokers are finding it difficult to pass judgment on his performances.

Chairman Angus Johnson confirmed the football department was set for a funding overhaul but would not reveal the source of the extra money.

"Yes, we are looking to increase our spending on the football department,'' he said.

"Our particular focus will be on development.

"There is no doubt we don't have the resources in that area that other clubs do and we are determined to bring ourselves up to AFL standard.''

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou confirmed Brisbane would be the recipient of extra funding under new equalisation measures to be announced at the end of the season.

Johnson refused to comment on whether the revamp was designed to provide extra support to Voss and re-stated the official line that no decision on the senior coach would be made until the end of the season.

However there is no appetite to sack a club hero and the likelihood of finding an experienced and successful replacement after the season is remote.

Paul Roos has been linked to the Lions, but no approach has been made to the Swans premiership coach and industry sources are suggesting Voss will get two more years.

Johnson said Brisbane has endured a period of "belt tightening'' as events such as the Queensland floods and the global financial crisis hit the local market and a series of expensive pay-outs to Brendan Fevola, former CEO Michael Bowers and high performance manager Dan Collins led to consecutive multi-million dollar losses.

But he said it was now time to re-invest in the football department and football side.

The AFL will also ensure the Lions have the capacity to pay 100 per cent of the salary cap which is $9.632 million per club next season, an increase of 5.4 per cent.Johnson has instructed his recruiting staff to enter the market for a big name player.

Hawthorn superstar Lance Franklin, who is a free agent at the end of the year, has already been identified as a priority target.

Johnson said Brisbane would only pay the full amount if it was to recruit a big name player to the club not to increase the salaries of the existing list.
Originally published as Two more years for Voss at Lions

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